ÖKOM can be used as a full course or as supporting material. The course is also suitable for self-study. The interdisciplinary nature of ÖKOM (with texts from the sciences, technology, economy, ecology, law, politics and social sciences) and the focus on building methodological competence has the advantage that it is suitable for both homogeneous and heterogeneous learner groups.
The reading course is the result of a long-term, international project that aims to introduce students and professionals to the diverse German-language literature on ecology and environmental protection, thus creating a basis for binational and international communication. Following a basic German-language model, special materials have been developed for Brazil and Russia. These materials follow a contrastive approach. The courses were tested over a longer period of time and feedback from the classroom was taken into consideration in the course design.